Arcane Art
by daphrose
Summary: Adam is the oldest in his family, so sometimes he can be overlooked. It doesn't help that the Davenport family intelligence seems to have skipped over him. But Adam finally found something he's really good at. The question is: should he tell his family? Or allow his skills to remain a secret? (Three shot. Rated T to be safe.)
1. Adam's Ability

**What's up, Lab Rats fans? It's me again, daphrose. Now if you've read my other stories, you know that I write about Chase a lot. Well, I wanted to give one of the other lab rats a shot as well. So I chose Adam. Why Adam? A few reasons. First of all, I want to get better at writing him, since he can be hard for me. Second, there don't seem to be that many Adam stories out there. I could be wrong, but I've seen very few. Third, Adam is the oldest out of three siblings (and Leo too, I guess, but he didn't grow up with Leo) just like I am. So some of Adam's thoughts are based off of ones I've had in the past. Don't get me wrong, my parents didn't play favorites or anything, but sometimes it seems that as the oldest you're automatically called to be the strongest.**

**When I first started writing this story it was going to be rated K plus "just to be safe." I changed it to T because I wound up writing some pretty intense scenes. And I get super-paranoid about this stuff. It could probably slip by with a K plus rating, but I wanted to play it safe.**

**By the way, I don't necessarily have a set time-line for this story, but I imagined it to take place in the old lab. Just because I love the old lab more. So it would probably be best to picture the old lab when you read or some of it might not make sense.**

**Well, that was my rather long author's note. I hope you guys will enjoy the story! I do not own Lab Rats or Adam, Bree, and Chase. I do own Suzie and anything else you don't recognize.**

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*** * * Chapter 1: Adam's Ability * * ***

* * *

"AHHHH!"

Adam knew that scream. He had heard it many times before. Too many for his liking. Although in truth it was amusing. The scream was too high-pitched and girly for its owner.

"Chase, hold on!" Adam yelled. He coughed a few times as the smoke entered his throat. He dropped to his hands and knees and crawled across the floor. Mr. Davenport had said that it was better to stay near the ground where there was less smoke. Adam didn't understand it, but he was going to obey anyway.

"Chase?" Adam called out again. "Where are you?"

"Over here!" Chase's strained voice called out before bursting into a fit of coughing.

Adam crawled in the direction of the noise. The smoke was making his eyes water and his throat feel like he had swallowed a bucket of sand. His lips were dry and cracked and he yearned for water. But he kept pushing forward. Flames licked the ceiling above him. The sound of cracking support beams entered his ears. Adam tried to clear his mind of all that and focus on something else. Bunnies. Bunnies were cute, right? But every time he tried to picture a bunny all he could think of was one being trapped in a burning building. And that was not a pleasing picture at all.

Instead Adam tried focusing on images of his siblings. He imagined Chase sitting back home in the lab, working on homework. He imagined Bree texting some boy on her phone. Those were pleasant pictures. Adam allowed a small grin to slide up his face as he imagined his siblings safe and happy back home.

The sound of Chase's violent coughing caused Adam to snap out of his little trance. As much as he wanted his siblings to be safe right now, they weren't. And as big brother it was his duty to make sure that they were. Chase only sounded a few feet away now. Adam crawled in that general direction and his heart skipped a beat when he saw his younger brother lying under a large support beam.

"Can't get it off!" Chase choked out when he saw Adam.

"Hang on, buddy. I got ya!" Adam said. He crawled over and gently lifted the beam off of his brother using his super-strength. He patted his brother, tying to make sure Chase hadn't broken anything.

"I'm fine," Chase said in an irritated tone as he pushed Adam off. Adam frowned a little but decided to ignore his brother's rudeness.

"Do you know where Bree is?" Adam asked.

"No, we got separated," Chase said between coughs. "I think she went that way . . ."

Chase was cut off when Bree super-sped up next to them and collapsed onto the ground. Her shoulders heaved with the coughing and Adam patted her gently on the back.

"Found her!" Adam said with a goofy grin, trying to lighten the mood. All he received in return were glares from his siblings.

"Bree, can you . . . can you speed us out of here?" Chase gasped.

"I think so!" Bree replied.

"Wait!" Adam said suddenly. "Did you get everyone out? Our mission comes first."

"As far as I know, yes, I got everyone out," Bree said snarkily.

"Chase, why don't you use your super-hearing to see if you hear anybody still in the building?" Adam instructed. He noticed the glare his sister was giving him. "Just to be safe," he added quickly.

Chase nodded and pushed back the hair next to his ear. He placed two fingers on his temple and squinted in concentration. For a few seconds the only noises Adam heard were his and his siblings' raspy breathing and the crackling of the fire all around them.

"I don't hear anyone else," Chase murmured weakly. "Let's get out of here."

"Grab on," Bree instructed. She slowly pushed herself to her feet and stumbled a little before managing to balance herself.

"Bree, can you still run if I put my force field around us?" Chase asked. "That way we would be safe from any of the fire or debris."

"If you can move it fast enough, then sure," Bree replied.

Chase and Adam both hooked their arms under Bree's. Chase raised his left arm and a blue shield appeared around them. Adam immediately felt much safer. Bree charged out of the building. She went a little slower than normal so Chase could keep the force field up. Yet they still bumped into the front of it a few times.

The three siblings crashed through the door into the warm air outside. The force field disappeared and they all collapsed. Adam was hoping that they would have fresher air outside, but instead the smoke was only_ slightly_ thinner. Adam glanced up at the black plumes of smoke rising from the building and coughed mechanically. But there was no time to sit here and feel sorry for himself.

Adam hopped up, swaying a little as he did. He then walked over to the crowd of about twenty or so people who were standing in front of the building. Those who weren't coughing violently were gazing in awe at the blazing two-story building.

"Is everyone alright?" the bionic teen attempted to shout. His voice came out weak and cracked, but everyone still seemed to hear him.

"Suzie!" someone cried. "You've got to help Suzie!"

The crowd parted, revealing a young woman – college age – who looked like she was about to pass out. She was lying flat on the ground. Her face was pale and she was shaking. Several people were crouched on the ground in front of her. Adam rushed over and knelt down in front of Suzie. He bit his lip, not quite sure what to do. What would Chase do?

"Does anyone know CPR?" Adam called.

"Wait a second, I do!" one woman said, stepping up. "And Suzie's my friend." Adam stood up and motioned to Suzie. The woman obliged.

A few seconds later Adam heard the sound of sirens getting closer. He was both relieved and distraught. "You guys won't tell anyone about me and my siblings, right?" Adam asked the crowd around him.

"Kid," one of the men said, "your dad is our boss. Of course we won't say anything."

"Good," Adam sighed. He glanced down one more time at Suzie. She looked a little better after her friend had administered the CPR. "Bye, then."

"Thank you for saving us!" one of the women called as Adam sprinted back to his siblings. Adam grinned and felt a warm feeling enter his heart. It was nice to be thanked. It wasn't always something he got.

Chase and Bree were still on the ground, breathing heavily. "Come on, guys," Adam said, helping his siblings to their feet. "We've got to get out of here before the fire trucks show up."

"Right!" Chase said weakly. "Let's . . . let's get back to the, um . . ."

"Helicopter," Adam supplied. Chase nodded in reply.

The three of them stumbled back into the woods behind the building. Adam turned back for one last glance. The fire trucks had pulled up to the front of the facility and he could see the people being helped. The Davenport Industries logo on the front of building was being eaten away by the flames. The entire building was charred beyond recognition.

"Davenport won't be happy," Adam muttered.

"But we got everyone out," Bree reminded him. "We completed the mission. Now can we go home, please?"

"Sure," Adam told her gently. "Here we are. Get in, guys."

The three of them climbed into the helicopter together. Adam pressed a few buttons and set it on autopilot with a course for home. He leaned back in the seat. He knew the ride would only be ten minutes at most; Mr. Davenport had let them take one of the high-speed helicopters.

Bree was on one side of Adam and Chase was on the other. They were both coughing like crazy. Adam frowned and placed an arm around each of their shoulders. Neither of them looked at him or moved any closer. Adam tilted his head back and stared at the ceiling. _I wish I could've protected them better, _he thought.

* * *

Adam entered the lab slowly. He was crouched down a little and had a sibling leaning on each of his shoulders. Mr. Davenport and Leo rushed up to them. Leo immediately began asking a hundred questions at once.

"What happened? Are you all okay? Did you get everyone out? What was the fire like? Was it hot? Was there a lot of smoke?"

Adam did his best to answer all the questions. "Long story. I'm not sure. Yes. Scary. Very. A whole lot."

"You two, in your capsules!" Mr. Davenport instructed. He grabbed Chase's arm and Leo grabbed Bree's. They put both the youngest bionics in their capsules and Mr. Davenport hurried over to the console.

"I am so sorry guys," he whispered. "I never would've sent you if I had known it would be that dangerous."

"It's alright, Mr. Dav–" Bree was interrupted by another coughing fit.

"We had a mission to do," Chase interjected. "And we completed it."

By now Adam was on the other side of the lab, completely forgotten. That wasn't unusual. Adam was the oldest. He could be overlooked sometimes. Chase was the baby of the family and Bree was Mr. Davenport's "little girl." Adam was . . . Adam. That's all he would ever be.

Was Adam mad at his family for that? No. He could sometimes feel a little hurt when his younger siblings were given special attention, but he never let it get to him. He knew that Bree and Chase did _need _the attention. They weren't as strong as him – in more ways than one.

No one noticed as Adam slipped out the lab doors. He headed upstairs and wandered through the house. Soon he came to a room in the back of the house on the second floor. Nobody ever came over here, so it was the perfect place for Adam to escape. He slipped inside and flipped the switch on the wall. A dim light flooded the room.

Adam found a blank spot on the wall and dragged his supplies over. He knew exactly what he was going to do here. He could already see it in his mind's eye. He dipped one of the brushes into a can of paint and held his arm up. He breathed in the smell of fresh paint before letting his creativity take over.

Golds and reds and yellows mixed together in a spectacular display. Orange and brown ran together, creating a bright scene on the wall. The vivid shades blended to create a perfect representation of the fire Adam has just witnessed. The flames he created licked up the wall with all the ferocity of a real fire. The colors were so bright they were almost blinding.

Adam mixed tan and pink together and held his brush up to the wall. For just a second he faltered. Did he really want to paint this? Yes, he did, he decided. It was a memory. Good or bad, it was something he wanted to capture. So Adam placed his brush on the wall and began work on a face.

The oldest bionic coughed suddenly, causing his hand to slip. He gazed at his image in horror. The pinkish-tan was now streaked across the flames. Thinking fast – which doesn't happen often for Adam – he grabbed a wet sponge and wiped it off. He breathed a sigh of relief as the streak disappeared, although it took some of the flames with it. Adam postponed his work on the face to fix the fire.

The bright colors of the room swirled around Adam. Pictures from his life were beautifully captured on the walls. Here was a place where Adam could be content. No missions, no worrying about his siblings, no problems with his schoolwork. Here Adam was free to do what he wanted.

Adam's family never knew where he went when he disappeared for hours on end. But he was always here. They didn't know about this room; they didn't know what Adam could do. Part of Adam wondered if they would even care.

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**How did you guys like it? I personally was pretty proud of all the descriptions. Fire is a fun thing to describe. I'm sorry if anyone seemed OOC, but I thought I did a pretty decent job. And I know how much you all love protective Adam.**

**I did a TON of research for this story. My internet searches over the past few days include "burns," "smoke inhalation," "fires," and "carbon monoxide poisoning." I'm not going to use**_** all**_** that research, so don't go assuming that those mean anything for the next two chapters (thought they **_**might**_**). But I basically searched everything related to fires and thoroughly investigated all the directions I could take this story. I hope I depicted it well!**

**Don't forget to review/follow/favorite if you liked it! You don't have to, of course, but I would really appreciate it if you did! Your support means the world to me. See you guys again soon!**


	2. Bree's Bewilderment

**Hey everybody! Thanks for all the support and reviews/follows/favorites. They mean a lot, as I'm sure you know! I'm happy you guys are liking the story so far! Hopefully you'll like this chapter as well.**

**I'm using a whole lot of big words in this story (and lots of alliteration in the titles) that you guys might not know. For example, if something is arcane, it is "known or understood by very few; secret." I forgot to mention that last time! No shame in pulling out that dictionary if you need it, folks! I may or may not have used a thesaurus to find that word anyway . . .**

**Chase might seem a little mean in this chapter because, let's face it, he can be **_**mean. **_**Especially to Adam. I actually felt surprisingly comfortable writing him that way and I thought he came out well. We all need to admit it: Chase can be a**_** jerk **_**sometimes. He's not perfect.**

**And this chapter ends on a cliffhanger as well! Why? 'Cause I can! Mwahaha! I hope you guys will enjoy this chapter! I don't own Lab Rats.**

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*** * * Chapter 2: Bree's Bewilderment * * ***

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Bree closed her eyes as the oxygen-enriched air flowed through her capsule. She took deep breaths like her father was instructing her to do. Mouthfuls of air entered her throat and filled up her lungs. The burning pain in her throat slowly dissipated as she gulped the sweet air.

A few seconds later Bree could feel the air cease to circulate in her capsule. Everything returned to normal and Bree pushed on the front of her capsule gingerly. She saw her younger brother doing the same.

Leo sat at the cyberdesk, studying them from a distance. Mr. Davenport stood before then, a sorrowful look on his face as he surveyed his youngest bionics. Bree smiled at him, hoping to ease her father's conscience. It wasn't his fault. He had given them a mission to do and they had completed it. That was precisely what Chase said next.

"Mr. Davenport, please don't blame yourself," Chase said. Bree noted that her brother's voice sounded a little stronger now. "It was a mission. No more dangerous than usual."

"I didn't realize the fire was that big," Mr. Davenport mumbled. "Bridget said there was a fire, and that they were trapped. But she didn't say how _big _the fire was."

Bree cleared her throat so she wouldn't interrupt herself with coughing. "We saved the lives of over twenty people," she said. "It was worth a little discomfort."

"Smoke inhalation is more than just a little discomfort," Leo pointed out.

"We don't have smoke inhalation!" Chase snapped. Then he turned to Mr. Davenport. "Right?"

Mr. Davenport sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "Luckily, no," their father told them. "But what if you had?"

"But we didn't!" Bree pointed out. "Your training prepared us. We knew exactly how to handle it."

"You're right; I _am _a fantastic trainer/father/inventor!" Mr. Davenport said. He placed his hands on his hips and flashed a cocky grin.

Bree just rolled her eyes. "Whatever you need to tell yourself," she said sarcastically. Her brothers chuckled. _Her brothers. _Suddenly Bree realized something.

"Where's Adam?" the female bionic asked. She surveyed the lab and saw no sign of her rather goofy older brother.

"Oh, I should probably check him too," Mr. Davenport said.

"Relax," Chase said calmly. "It's Adam; he's fine, I'm sure."

Bree frowned a little at the way Chase was acting so nonchalant. Didn't he even care? Adam had been in just as much danger as the two of them. Where could he even be right now? Bree hadn't seen him leave the lab.

They all headed upstairs in the elevator. When the four of them tumbled out, Tasha grinned at them from the kitchen. "Dinner's almost ready," she announced.

Bree took her seat at the table as Tasha brought the plates over. At this point Bree was no longer worried about Adam. If there was food to be eaten, he would be there. _Three, two, one . . ._

"Ooh, do I smell food?" Adam exclaimed as he charged down the stairs into the living room.

"Spaghetti and meatballs," Tasha called to her eldest son.

"Yeah!" Adam cheered as he slid into his seat. Bree noticed the way he tried to muffle a cough in his elbow. She frowned slightly.

"Are you okay, Adam?" Bree asked.

Adam opened his mouth to answer, but Chase cut him off. "Of course he's fine, Bree!" her younger brother said. "He's always alright!"

"Thanks, Chase," Bree said in an irritated tone. "But I wanted to hear it from Adam." Chase just shrugged and put another forkful of spaghetti into his mouth.

"I'm alright," Adam said. He twirled his spaghetti absentmindedly before putting the end of one noodle into his mouth and slurping it up loudly.

"You're sure?" Bree asked.

"Just got a cough is all," Adam said. "I'm fine though."

Bree squinted a little and shot him her 'I-don't-believe-you' look. Adam squirmed uncomfortably. Bree was just about to push her brother further when Leo suddenly piped up.

"What was the fire like?" her half-brother asked excitedly.

"Bright," Chase said.

"Hot," Bree supplied.

"Scary," Adam murmured.

Suddenly Bree heard Tasha hiss, "Donald! Put that away! We're eating right now."

Bree pivoted her head to look at her father. She noticed the way Mr. Davenport was looking down at his phone and not paying attention to any of the dinner table conversation. Tasha gave him a sharp jab in the arm. He scowled at her and glanced up at his family. Mr. Davenport cleared his throat and everyone looked at him.

"I just got texts from a few of the people you guys got out of the building," their father explained.

"Is everyone okay now?" Chase asked.

"Yes, everyone's fine," Mr. Davenport said. "Two people had smoke inhalation, but they'll be okay. A few had burns, but not enough to warrant overnight stays in the hospital. Everyone is good."

"Is Suzie okay?" Adam asked suddenly.

"Who's Suzie?" Bree, Chase, and Leo all asked at once.

"She was one of the people we got out," Adam explained. "She didn't look so good. But her friend gave her CPR when I asked her to."

"Um . . ." Mr. Davenport said, sliding his thumb across his phone. "Suzie will have to stay in the hospital for a few days due to smoke inhalation, but it looks like she'll be alright. Good job, you three."

The rest of the dinner table conversation revolved around schoolwork, one of Mr. Davenport's new inventions, and some details about the rescues during the bionics' mission. After dinner Bree was getting up from the table when she noticed Adam heading upstairs.

Now, normally Bree couldn't care less about her brothers. But Adam had been acting pretty aloof lately. Bree couldn't help but feel like something was up. So she followed him upstairs, making sure to move quickly and quietly so he wouldn't know she was trailing him. Bree had a feeling that if he knew, he wouldn't really go where he wanted to go.

Adam walked to the end of a long hallway and opened a door at the end before slipping inside. Bree waited a few seconds before coming up to the door and opening it slowly. Adam was on the other side of the room, his back to his sister. Bree quietly slipped inside.

As Bree got a good look at the room, she let out a small gasp. Adam jumped and turned around at the sudden noise. "Bree!" he exclaimed. "What are you doing in here?"

Bree ignored his question. "Adam," she breathed, "did _you _do all this?"

Adam shuffled his feet uncomfortably and avoided his sister's gaze. "Uh, yeah," he replied slowly.

"This . . . this is _incredible!" _Bree told him excitedly.

Adam's face lit up like a light bulb. "Really?" he asked.

"Really!" Bree assured him. "I never knew you could do this!"

Cans of various colors of paint were strewn across the room. There was a stepladder near the middle. Some empty cans and buckets were filled with brushes of many different shapes and sizes. White tarps splattered with paint were covering every square inch of the floor. But the thing that caught Bree's eye was what was on the wall.

The wall was covered with pictures of the bionics' life. Each was masterfully painted with immense amounts of detail. All colors of the rainbow invaded every part of the wall. Bree gazed in awe at the spectacular images that surrounded her.

"That's when Leo first came into the lab," Bree said, motioning to a picture that was directly across from the doorway. It depicted her step-brother leaning against the console in front of the capsules. His head was tilted back in a mid-scream pose. The detail of the lab in the background was astonishing.

"And that's Marcus and Chase playing guitar," Bree said as she moved along the wall. The poses of the teenage boys were beautifully captured. The strange positions of the fingers that were required when playing guitar were portrayed in a most realistic way.

"And that's me when I was practicing for cheerleading," Bree observed. Bree studied the depiction of her own body. The unmoving image on the wall had one leg raised in a classic cheerleader pose. Bree smiled as she looked at the detail put into the clothing. The pom-poms looked like she could take them straight of the wall and cheer with them right then and there.

"You really did all _this?" _Bree asked again as she turned back to her brother.

"Yes," Adam said simply. He coughed into his sleeve. Whether due to discomfort or the smoke they had inhaled earlier, Bree wasn't sure.

"How long have you been working on all this?" Bree asked. "How long have you been able to do this? Adam, these are _spectacular! _I've never seen such detail. I had no idea . . ."

"Because I didn't tell you," Adam interrupted. "This was kinda my own little secret."

"But you clearly have a gift, Adam!" his sister said. "How could you not tell us? I mean, I thought you were only good at . . ." Bree trailed off a little, biting her lip as if hoping to take back her words.

"I'm only good at lifting heavy things," Adam finished for her. "And making obvious comments and cracking jokes and creating monkey fantasies. That's why I didn't say anything. You guys don't think I can do more."

"But you obviously _can. _Why didn't you prove us wrong?"

Bree' older brother shrugged. "I guess I just didn't feel like it," he mumbled. "By the way, please don't touch the wall behind you. It's still wet."

The female bionic turned to see the image behind her. She stared in fascination at what was on the wall. Bright orange and red entered her eyes and nearly blinded her. She gazed with a mixture of enthrallment and shock at the illustration on the wall. It was only half finished, but she could already tell what it was.

It was her younger brother. It was Chase surrounded by fire. The flames licked up around him as he lay helpless under a beam. It was another moment from Adam's life. One that had occurred too recently for Bree's liking.

"Why would you paint this?" Bree mumbled.

"Because it's something that happened," Adam told her simply. "Good or bad, it's something I want to remember. Maybe it will help push me to p-protect you guys better next t-time . . ." Adam trailed off suddenly.

Some part of that sentence made Bree's heart feel like it was breaking. "What do you mean?" she asked gently, turning to face her older brother. He was looking down at his hands, his face twisted in confusion. "Uh, Adam?" Bree questioned apprehensively.

Suddenly Adam burst into a violent fit of coughing like nothing Bree had ever heard before. He sank to his knees and placed one hand on the wall for support. Each cough made his entire body tremble fiercely.

"Adam!" Bree exclaimed. She rushed over and dropped down beside her brother.

Adam's hand slipped down the wall and the top half of his body slowly moved closer and closer to the floor. "B-Bree?" he muttered weakly during a respite from the coughing. "I-is th-that y–" Her older brother trailed off as the coughs racked his body once again.

"I'm here, Adam," Bree gulped as she placed a hand on her brother's back.

"I-I . . . I d-don't . . ." Adam attempted to gasp out, but was continuously interrupted by the coughs. "I-I don't f-feel g-g-good . . . Bree-e-e . . ." Adam fell flat on the ground, his body going limp under Bree's hand.

"Adam? ADAM!"

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**Wuh-oh. Will Adam be okay? Perhaps he will be saved by your reviews! Haha, I'm just kidding. You don't have to review, of course. But I would appreciate the support! See you guys soon!**


	3. Chase's Concession

**Hey everyone! Who's ready for the final chapter of Arcane Art? Thanks for all your reviews, guys! Thirty reviews for two chapters of a silly little three-shot? Thanks so much! Adam is grateful. Your reviews **_**might **_**just save his life. ;)**

**Lady Cougar-Trombone pointed out to me that I messed up in the last chapter and called Leo their "half-brother" instead of "step-brother." So sorry about that! I started banging my head on a table when I realized that (or the Bang Shrine *winks at AllAmericanSlurp*). Don't know what happened there, guys! Hopefully it won't happen again. Thanks for pointing it out, LCT! Sorry again.**

**Anyway, hopefully you'll enjoy this! I wrote it up last night and this morning, so sorry if there are any mistakes. I didn't have as much time as usual to work on it. But enjoy! I don't own Lab Rats.**

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*** * * Chapter 3: Chase's Concession * * ***

* * *

Chase and Leo were sitting on the couch watching cartoons. Leo stared at the television with his 'I'm-too-deep-into-this-cartoon-to-notice-anything-in-the-real-world' face. Chase was mentally naming every scientific law that Wile E. Coyote was breaking. _There goes the law of gravity, _the bionic super-genius thought as the coyote remained suspended in thin air above a cliff.

Suddenly a faint sound entered Chase's ears. He bolted upright and frowned. "Did you hear something?" he asked his younger brother. Leo just waved a hand at him absentmindedly. Chase leaned over and grabbed the remote, pausing the show.

"Hey!" Leo protested.

"Shh!" Chase insisted. He turned up his bionic hearing and listened again for the noise.

"Don't you shush me!" Leo said loudly. "You don't just interrupt a man's cartoon like –"

Chase clapped a hand over his younger brother's mouth. Leo struggled in protest, but Chase barely noticed. The sound entered his ears again, louder this time. "Bree," Chase murmured before jumping up off the couch. He charged blindly upstairs, disregarding the calls of his step-brother.

Bree's voice became quieter for a few moments. Chase strained his super-sensitive hearing, trying to determine where in the house she was. Finally her voice got louder and he could tell he was getting closer. He charged down a hallway in a part of the mansion that hardly anybody went to. Chase opened a door at the end. He could hear his sister inside.

As Chase entered the room he paused for just a moment. The youngest bionic observed the walls. His mouth fell open a little as he glanced at all the different scenes of his and his siblings' life as portrayed by painted illustrations. For a second he stared in awe at the majesty of the room. But he was drawn out of his thoughts when he saw Bree crouched on the ground next to a remarkably still, prostrate Adam.

"What happened?" Chase asked, crouching down next to his older brother.

"I don't know," Bree said. Chase could tell she was trying to remain calm, but he could hear the panic just beneath the surface of her words. "I followed him up here and came in and we talked for a few minutes and he just started coughing and . . . and then he just collapsed!"

Chase gently picked up his brother's wrist and sighed with relief as he felt a pulse. "Bree," he instructed, "go get Mr. Davenport."

Bree nodded and began to leave the room. But as she walked out the door she paused for just a second. "Looks like you were wrong. Adam _wasn't _okay," she said over her shoulder before super-speeding out of the room.

Chase immediately felt the guilt wash over him. He looked down at his brother's pale face and felt his chest get tight. Adam's breathing was shallow and raspy. It was starting to frighten Chase.

"I'm sorry, Adam," the youngest bionic whispered.

* * *

Chase watched from a distance as Mr. Davenport scurried between the various consoles in the lab. Adam was in his capsule, an oxygen mask around his mouth. Chase almost felt like he was going to be sick. Finally he got up and headed over to the elevator. Bree noticed and ran up to him.

"Where are you going?" she asked as Chase pushed the button for the elevator.

"Anywhere but here," Chase whispered.

"But why?" Bree questioned.

There was silence for a few seconds. "Because I can't stand to see Adam like that," Chase finally said as the elevator doors opened. The youngest bionic stepped inside, hoping that Bree would leave him alone. But instead his sister hopped in with him.

"What do you mean?" Bree asked.

"He's our big brother," Chase mumbled as the elevator began to move upward. "It's not . . . _natural _to see him like that."

Bree was silent until the elevator doors began to open in the living room. Then she said, "Follow me. I want to show you something."

Bree charged upstairs. Chase ran at his top speed to keep up with her. Even without her super-speed, Bree was still an incredibly fast runner. They ran through the halls until they came to a door that Chase recognized.

"I'm guessing you saw what was on the walls in here before," Bree said as she turned the door handle and they went inside. "But I think you need a better look."

The bright colors of the walls once again entered Chase's eyes. This time he was able to observe them closely. He saw the many different pictures that covered the wall. Each picture was a scene from some point in Adam's life. Chase gazed with wonder at how the proportions of the paintings were spot on. Nothing was crooked or out of place. It was all very . . . precise.

"So Adam did all this," Chase said quietly. It wasn't a question.

"Yeah," Bree sighed. "He's really talented, isn't he?"

"I didn't even know he could do anything besides lift heavy things and chase bugs," the youngest bionic said.

"Neither did I. But I guess we were wrong. You know, you're always making him feel stupid. Look around. Does he seem so stupid now? You really owe him an apology."

"Maybe I do. But don't heap all the blame on me; you make fun of him too."

"You're right. We _both_ need to apologize," Bree consented. She guided her younger brother over to one wall and gestured to the fresh painting on it. "Recognize that?"

"That's me," Chase breathed. "That was earlier, in the fire. When Adam . . . when Adam saved me."

"Right before Adam collapsed he told me he painted that in order to push himself to protect us better next time," Bree explained.

The brother and sister shared a knowing look and Chase said what they were both thinking. "When he's better we need to let him know that he_ is_ doing a very good job of being our protective big brother."

* * *

Adam spent the next day recuperating. Mr. Davenport looked up every medical fact he could find about smoke inhalation and treated Adam appropriately. That morning Chase finally brought himself to help his brother. He ignored the way Adam looked so helpless and instead focused on supplying Mr. Davenport with any knowledge he had.

Later in the afternoon Chase and Adam finally had a moment to themselves in the lab. They were both sitting in chairs at the console to the capsules. Adam was much better now, though he still had a nasty cough to deal with. Chase fiddled with his fingers, knowing what he had to say.

"Adam," Chase said, catching the older boy's attention. "I . . . um, I wanted to say that I'm . . . sorry."

"About what?" Adam asked with a confused expression.

"A few things," Chase murmured. He looked down at his feet and scowled a little. He hated apologizing. It meant admitting that he was . . . _wrong! _Chase swallowed and could practically feel the pride sliding down his throat.

"I'm sorry for not listening to you yesterday and giving you a chance to tell us how you really felt," Chase continued. "I guess . . . I mean . . ." Chase paused, hoping Adam would interject. But Adam remained unusually quiet as stared at his younger brother.

"You're my big brother," Chase finally said. "It's . . . _weird _to see you get hurt. You're always so strong and you carry the weight . . . I suppose I need to realize that you're just as . . . _normal _–I guess that's the word – as the rest of us."

Suddenly Chase felt Adam's arms around his shoulders. Chase was still for a moment, slightly shocked, before he wrapped his arms around his big brother. Adam coughed into Chase's shoulder before saying in a raspy voice, "But I _want _to be stronger. I _need _to be stronger so I can protect you."

"You do a really great job of that already," Chase assured him. "You're the best big brother a guy could ask for."

Adam pulled back and grinned. "You really think so?"

"Definitely," Chase affirmed. "You're . . . also very . . . talented."

"You saw the room?"

"Yeah. That's impressive. I had no idea you could do that. I'm sorry for making you feel stupid in the past. You're really incredible, okay? You've got a gift."

"Thanks Chase!" Adam said. He ruffled his younger brother's hair, causing Chase to scowl at him. Adam grinned before pulling his brother into another quick hug.

"So, how long have you been working on all those paintings?" Chase asked as they pulled apart.

Adam shrugged. "A few months now, I guess," he said.

"Did Davenport say you could use that room?"

"No. But no one ever goes in there, so I figured it was fine. I found it a few months ago and wanted to make into my own 'special space.' But I didn't like the walls, so I started to paint them. Before I knew it I had nearly filled up the walls with pictures. I might have to move to the ceiling soon."

"Well, maybe I could help sometime?"

"Uh, I don't know, little bro. Some of those spots are pretty high up on the wall. I don't think you'd be able to reach." Adam laughed a little, which caused him to break into a furious fit of coughing.

Chase pursed his lips and waited until Adam stopped coughing before saying, "I'm going to let that slide considering everything else that's going on right now. But _really?"_

Just then the lab doors opened and the boys turned to see Bree walk in. "Hey guys," she said. "What's up?"

"Bree, don't you have something to say to Adam?" Chase prodded.

"So do you!" she insisted.

"I already did," Chase replied smugly.

"Wow!" Bree said, folding her arms across her chest. "I'm impressed! I thought I was going to have to_ force _you to apologize."

"And now it's your turn," Chase told her, gesturing to their older brother.

Adam grinned and looked up at Bree expectantly. She rolled her eyes and said, "I'm sorry for ever making you feel dumb, Adam. You might not always be the brightest, but you're really great. You care for us and are always there when we need it. Plus you're a great artist. Even better than Owen, I think."

"Well I thought that was obvious," Adam said. "And I think I'm going to tell Owen you said that!"

Bree's face turned a bright shade of red. "Don't you dare!" she shouted.

"Yeah, give him your phone, Bree!" Chase snickered. "He can text Owen and tell him precisely what you said."

"No!" Bree said, placing a hand protectively on her pants pocket. "He'd be really mad at me!"

"But you _do _think I'm the better artist, right?" Adam clarified.

"Well . . . yes," Bree said slowly. "But don't tell him I said that! He's really cute! Please guys, don't ruin this for me."

"Maybe we won't tell him . . ." Adam said in a teasing tone. He coughed a few times before continuing, "If you won't complain about our pranks for a month."

"No way!" Bree refused.

"I've heard Bree say Owen's phone number," Chase said. He whipped out his cell phone. "Why don't we just call him up right now, shall we?"

"What, no! F-fine!" Bree yielded. "No complaints for a month." Her brothers flashed victorious grins.

"Girls are so weird," Chase mumbled to Adam. Adam nodded his head vigorously in agreement. Bree just rolled her eyes again.

Then Chase noticed how Adam was closely observing him and Bree. "Adam?" he asked with one eyebrow raised. "What are you doing?"

"I think I want to paint this moment next," Adam explained with a proud grin. "So that way I'll be reminded that I'm a pretty darn good big brother after all."

* * *

**Ta-da! Did you enjoy it? I know you all like protective Adam, so I hope you did! It was really fun to write Chase struggling to apologize. *snickers* Oh, Chase. Did anybody notice how I had each of the lab rats describe the paintings in a different way? Adam noticed the colors, Bree noticed the detail, and Chase noticed the proportions. Pretty interesting, huh? (Yes, that was on purpose.)**

**I hope you guys liked this! For those of you who are fans of "I'm a Weapon," the prologue of the sequel, "I'm a Monster," will be posted tomorrow. So keep an eye out! Don't forget to go check out my other stories and follow/favorite me for more. See you guys later!**


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